by T J Newman

A Mystery/Thriller, 2024 by Little Brown, 336 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

There are a LOT of characters and moving parts to keep straight in this one. It’s definitely a book you have to focus on to fully appreciate. I kept forgetting who someone was when they came up and then had to backtrack to remind myself.
As someone who lives close to an active nuclear power plant and used to work even closer to it … this one hit home a bit. Of course, that won’t be the case for everyone. I will say that this entire town seemed a bit more informed about the power plant than we ever were, even when I worked right near it.
I wanted a bit more from the story. The entire story takes place over a relatively short amount of time, really letting you linger with the action and the danger. Because of that, the ending feels abrupt and rushed.

This one starts with the action right from the first page. You don’t have time to catch your breath or get any background information. You’re immediately in the story and in danger. Excellent example of in medias res.
The way these people come together made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Is this story about danger? Yes. But it’s also a story about people stepping up, problem solving, and doing what needs to be done.
The book captures a heightened sense of danger well. You are involved in the decisions and have plenty of opportunity to wonder what you would do in a similar situation.